They made a big decision... to start.

I’ve been with Teri for two years, 9 months of which I was pregnant. I came to BFIT one year after the birth of my first child and was at 33% body fat. Two months later I was already down to 25% -- and I learned I was pregnant! I stayed with BFIT throughout my pregnancy, lifting weights (with some modifications) up until the week before I gave birth. I was lifting weights ten days after my baby girl was born. I was running within two weeks. Three weeks after I gave birth, I was already below 33% body fat – a feat that took me a year to achieve after my first baby. Now, ten months later, I am at 21% body fat and about to run my first half-marathon.

The best part about the BFIT program is that I’ve learned none of these numbers really matter. What really matters is how I feel, physically and emotionally. What matters is that I always make time for a workout because I know I am infinitely more refreshed and able to be present for my family after a hard workout, meaning I come home from the gym a better wife and mother. What matters is my toddler son and infant daughter eat egg whites for breakfast and chicken and squash for dinner without giving it a second thought. Sure, they sometimes have peanut butter and jelly for three days straight. But when dinner is fish and asparagus, they’re just as likely to scarf it down. BFIT didn’t just get me into the skinny jeans I’ve been dying to wear, BFIT gave me a lifestyle that will allow me to make the right nutrition choices for my family and will allow me to give my kids the tools to make those same decisions for the rest of their life. Okay, having a nice bod for the skinny jeans is a big plus.

Because of BFIT, my relationship with food has changed. I’ve definitely learned how to turn Teri’s BFIT program into a lifestyle that works for me and my family. Yes, we eat a lot of chicken and rice, but we’ve also found that we really enjoy having tacos once a week (a great BFIT food with low-carb tortillas!) On spaghetti nights, we use spaghetti squash instead of pasta noodles. My kids don’t know the difference. When I’m starving at the check-out line I reach for a bag of turkey jerky or peanuts instead of a Reese’s candy bar. These things have become habits. They have become the norm. And not because I’m terrified of Teri’s voice when she reads my nutrition log (although that’s how it starts out! Ha ha). It’s because I feel better when I make those decisions. I still indulge, but when I do, it’s a conscious decision, not a lapse in judgment. I don’t walk around guilty about lunch, Googling the latest ‘get skinny quick’ diet that I promise myself to start “tomorrow.” I don’t sit down every Sunday night looking at Pinterest for the latest cleansing fad that I’ll try “next week.” I don’t think about food other than it being fuel for my body. My relationship with food has changed. I no longer have one.

One of the best parts of BFIT is the ladies. I didn’t join the gym to make friends; I joined to become healthy and fit. The BFIT group isn’t a bunch of friends, it’s really a family. It’s a safe place where all different types of women who are in different places in their fitness and wellness journey can learn from one another. The confidence – both physical confidence (in how we perceive our appearance) and mental confidence (how we perceive our ability to achieve our personal goals) – that comes with BFIT has a strange way of balancing other areas of your life. That balance often brings change. I have seen women in the program gain the confidence to go through major career changes (myself included), have huge improvements in relationships at home, and accomplish physical goals that never felt possible before. All of this happens because of the support of the trainers and women who are part of the program. It happens when we push each other through a tough leg day. It happens when we chat after class on the couches up front. It happens when we talk with Teri about our hurdles during our 1:1 nutrition. I didn’t join the gym to make friends, but I sure gained a family of women.

The BFIT program isn’t about numbers; it’s about gaining the tools and knowledge to live the rest of your life not thinking about the numbers. Not thinking about the next fad diet, or the number on the scale. The BFIT program is really about learning how to live in a healthy way that you can sustain. I would recommend the BFIT program for any one, but especially for new moms who want to give their children the gift of that same set of tools and knowledge. I am so thankful for BFIT and the tools it has provided me and my family to use for the rest of our lives.